Falu's: The Bored Princess

The Underworld is hidden in the depths of Earth. It is the kingdom of the dead, ruled over by Hades. Hades, a greedy god who is greatly concerned by the increase of his subjects, possesses a weakness, his daughter Letha.

His love for his only child is greater than the love he has for Persephone, his wife. Because of this great love, Persephone became jealous leaving Hades, the Underworld, and denying the existence of the child as her own.

After betrayal, Letha, now 17 years old, has grown into a fine future heiress and ruler of the Underworld. Life in the Underworld is not particularly unpleasant to Letha. It is rather like a miserable dream, full of shadows, without sunlight or hope; a joyless place, where the dead slowly fade into nothingness. Letha is used to this kind of life.

When The Erinnyes visited the Underworld, they said that Letha could stare for hours at the River of Lamentation. She was able to see the tiniest and most miserable souls in the depths of the river. The Erinyes said that if the gods had a staring contest in all the realms, she could win.

     One day Letha, with her dull face, woke up and wondered how interesting it would be to stare at living things. She decided to take a trip to Earth. She managed to escape her overly protecting father. She also deceived Cerberus to let her out of the gates of the Underworld. She rode the ferry across the Acheron, the fare was free to the King’s daughter.

     Once on Earth, she walked for many hours in the forests and fields. She stared at the sky, the sun, the trees, and the ground.  She noticed a living thing, a shepherd boy. She had a strange feeling in her chest, but that did not stop her from staring at the shepherd boy. She stared and stared, “Beautiful creatures, humans are!” she exclaimed. Finally, Letha gave her big green eyes a rest. She turned around and returned to the Underworld, to tell her father about the wonderful adventure she had on Earth.